Statement On Separating Children From Their Families At The Border

Dennis Solis, Pastor
CrossPoint Community Church

24 June 2018

As your pastor, as a Mexican American, as an American, and first and foremost as a Christian, I feel I must make a statement on the issue of Children being taken away from their parents. For me to be silent would be to neglect my responsibility as a pastor, and honestly, I have been silent in the past when I should have spoken up about other things going on in our nation. The danger, of course, in speaking up, is that those among us who might disagree with what I will say may label it as political propaganda. As your pastor, I am going to ask you not to do that. But let me say a couple of related things first.

We are all political. It’s time that our circles of faith admit and accept that. Politics are about life and people, and as with all things human, they are moral. So some policies created by politics are good and some are bad. We know that. Second, my first desire and priority, as I believe it is yours, is to let the Lord guide my views on all things moral and political. So if you are upset by my statement, please remember I am trying to do what I believe pastors should do. Nurture congregations to live like Christ in our world, which includes the volatile world of politics.

I believe as Christians, we should speak against any policy that separates children from their parents at our southern border. Yes, I understand that there are people who will abuse the genuine concern that some have about this. Yes, I understand that some people crossing our borders are abusing people from Central America, and will be a threat to American Citizens. I am not advocating for them. I agree we need to vet/screen people to determine as best we can someone’s purpose for crossing our border.

That being said, to have any policy that treats all people the same way is immoral. We as Christians cannot lose sight of the fact that many of the people trying to cross our borders are desperate. They, like all of us, want a better life. They come to America, as did our ancestors, because they are trying to escape oppressive leaders and systems. When our ancestors came to North America, they did not ask the millions of Native Americans (who by the way were called “Americans” by the Europeans that first came here) permission to come.

I know the answers are not easy, especially in our climate of division, but let us at least recognize the rottenness and cruelty of a policy that wants to punish desperate people alongside people with ulterior motives. We can argue politically about whose action or inaction has created this result of separating kids from their parents or guardians. But let us agree that it must stop. If 1000, if 100, if 10 children have been taken from their parents because of a desire to teach adults crossing the border a lesson, or to make one’s political adversaries bend to a particular policy, or to enforce the law, then in this case to enforce is immoral.

I remind every “Christian” here. You were not saved by the law, you were saved by grace. That truth should influence every viewpoint we take. Scripture teaches us that being merciful doesn’t come from a place of moral superiority, it comes from a place of awareness that I, like others, need mercy every day.

I end with a text from last week’s message. Luke 6:36 “Be merciful, just as your Father in heaven is merciful.”